An Obsolete Expression
by juliarachel
Summary: Harry and Ginny are having trouble in their relationship.  After an event leaves Harry and Hermione ridiculously close, will Harry choose his best friend or his wife?
1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:** Many DH spoilers. _POST DEATHLY HALLOWS_!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Everything goes to JK Rowling.

One - _September 1st, 2017_

Harry let his arm fall to his side, recalling his first trip to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Now, two of his children were on their way, but he was thankful his beautiful daughter would have two more years to wait. Harry wasn't ready to see his daughter off, letting her out into the world of magic. Her brothers wouldn't look after her; they were too busy chasing after girls, bless their teenage hearts. Harry, however, had to make sure that his oldest, James, did not go running after a certain sixth year.

James had a particular interest in older females. Harry took note of this when his son was only eight years old, when he had begged Victoire Weasley to marry him. She was nearly thirteen. Of course she turned him down; she had been "seeing" a fourth year. But Harry was certainly concerned for his son's well-being. He absolutely would not allow James to become attached to Adara Winggenrogh. She looked exactly like her mother: long, brown curls, with vibrant brown eyes to match. Her face was sprinkled with few freckles. Harry smiled to himself.

"So how about we all go out for lunch, now that the majority of the children are on their way to school. Lily, you're welcome to come with us!" Ron had interrupted Harry's thoughts with his proposal to, of course, go and eat.

"I'd love to come with you. Daddy's promised me another story about when he was in school," Lily said, grinning. Her fire-red hear was tied back into a pony-tail, her bright green eyes shining with anticipation.

"Ah, but I said bedtime, young lady. Not lunch time!" Harry reached down and scooped her up into his arms, tickling her belly jokingly. She squealed and attempted to wiggle herself out of her father's arms.

"Alright, Daddy! Please let me down now." Harry gently placed her feet back on the ground. "Hugo, do you want to come with us?"

The little boy turned scarlet, looking very bashful. "I'd like to go." The adults laughed.

Harry proposed the Leaky Cauldron, seeing as they could all make a trip to Diagon Alley afterwards. Everyone agreed.

--

"So, it's going to be pretty quiet in the house with only Lily, isn't it, Ginny? I mean, now that your two boys have gone to school, there will be less commotion, correct?" Hermione raised a mug of hot tea to her lips.

"Yes, I suppose it will be quite quiet. Lily's always very happy when James isn't teasing her all the time." Ginny looked over at her daughter, who was slurping chicken soup from a very large spoon.

"Ron, do you mind if I steal your wife for a moment. We have some special business to discuss." Harry stood up from his chair.

"'Courshe. Gin and I have shtuff to talk 'bout anywaysh." Ron was busy taking monstrous bites of a lettuce, cheese and tomato sandwich. Hermione neatly folded her napkin and placed in beside her plate before standing up. She and Harry walked upstairs to a private room. As soon as the door was shut behind them, Hermione let out an exasperated sigh.

"Did you see her, Hermione?"

Hermione walked over to a poorly-cushioned chair placed next to the small window overlooking the street. "Yes, Harry, I did."

Harry strode over to her, concerned, and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Hermione, I know this is hard. She's my daughter too, you know. But at least we can watch her grow up. She seems exactly like you. Luckily, she turned out just like her mother, hm?"

Hermione's eyes swelled up with tears. "Harry, there's so much that's wrong in this! Adara doesn't know that the Winggenrogh's aren't her real parents, and we made sure, Harry, that they would have told her by the time she started at Hogwarts. How old is she Harry? Sixteen, nearly seventeen, years old. Does she know that her father is the well-known Harry Potter? No! Does she know that her real mother is a book-crazed woman with two children? No!" She let the tears fall now. "Can I ask you one thing?"

Harry nodded, draping an arm over his best friend's shoulder. "Anything for you."

She inhaled, then said, "Do you love Ginny?" She said it in a whisper.

This time, Harry sighed. Hermione already knew his answer. Or, at least, she thought she knew. Hermione shook her head, feeling stupid for asking such a horrendous question. Of course he loved her! Harry and Ginny had three beautiful children. He wouldn't have stayed with her for this long if he didn't feel any attachment.

"No, Hermione. Not anymore. She is, well, she's a wonderful woman, but I feel as though she is only my past. I love her as a person, Hermione, but she and I.. We've been putting on a show. Any gala, or another special occasion, we've been wearing masks. Even to you and Ron! Hermione, ever since you and I, well, since Adara was born, I have lost any physical attraction towards Ginny."

Hermione was surprised with his answer. Before she could say anything, however, Harry continued.

"You see, after James was born, Ginny felt that I was not giving her all the attention she deserved. I was there with her at St. Mungo's, for every second of her painful labour. And then for Albus, and finally Lily. Hermione, when you were pregnant, tell me, was I that bad? I am not that horrible person, am I?"

Hermione looked up into Harry's eyes. "Harry, I don't know where Ginny got that idea, because, Harry, you are a wonderful person."

Harry gave her a very appreciative look, knowing she was being completely honest with him. He sighed again. "We'd better get back, Hermione. They may suspect something. I don't want to give Ginny another reason to be irritated with me. Do you want to catch up later?"

Hermione smiled, stood up, and said, "How about dinner, tomorrow night, at the Hog's Head. How's that sound?" She examined her appearance in the dusty mirror, scrunching her hair a little bit. Harry nodded in her direction. "Oh, and Harry?"

"Yes, Hermione?" Harry asked, going to stand behind her. He rested his chin on Hermione's shoulder, and placed his hands tenderly on her hips.

"Do you think, if.. Oh, never mind. It's a stupid question. What was I thinking?" Hermione shook the thoughts out of her mind. Harry closed his eyes and inhaled Hermione's scent. She smelled of vanilla sugar. Harry let into temptation and planted a gentle kiss on the nape of her neck. Hermione let out a soft "Oh." She turned around to face Harry, a faint smile visible on her face. Hermione did as her impulses told her. She stood up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. It had been four long years since they had had any sexual contact.

Harry took the opportunity to wrap his arms beneath Hermione's bottom, pulling her up onto him. He carried her over to the very rickety bed, and laid her down gently. Their kiss broke, and Harry searched Hermione's eyes for an okay to continue. Her smile lead him forward, and their lips met again. Harry took the liberty to unbutton the top three buttons of her blouse. It was a soft purple. After the third button was undone, a solid black bra had started to peek out. Harry kissed the soft skin at her collarbone.

Unfortunately, reality had come back to them. "Daddy? Aunt Hermione?"

Harry and Hermione froze, their eyes wide, looking at each other. Harry sprung up, grabbed Hermione's hands to pull her to her feet, and tried to straighten out. Hermione fumbled with the buttons on her shirt, but managed to get them done just as Harry opened the door.

"Dad! What were you doing?"

"Nothing, darling. Have you finished your lunch?" Harry quickly looked over his shoulder to make sure that Hermione was decent. He, then, knelt down to his daughter's height.

"Yeah. It was kind of goopy, though. Aunt Hermione, what's wrong?" Lily had noticed Hermione's rosied cheeks, and her slight panting.

"I'm okay. Nothing's wrong at all. What do you say I take you to Flourish and Blotts? Go get Hugo, and I'll take you both, okay?" Hermione was beaming down at her neice. The girl grinned and ran downstairs. Harry stood up and looked at Hermione. "Well, that was close," Hermione said, still smiling.

"Tell me about it. Let's finish this tomorrow evening, all right? How's that sound?" Harry placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Lovely." Hermione glided past Harry and walked out the door, deliberately swaying her hips a little more than usual, just to tease him. Harry closed his eyes, thinking of what surprises tomorrow might bring.

Harry had waited so long to be intimate with Hermione. They had been through so much. He knew how much she was hurting. Her first daughter was put up for adoption, her husband offered her no help in raising _their _two children, and she was in love with her best friend of twenty-six years.

He shook the thoughts of Hermione's problems from his head. He, too, then walked downstairs to finish his lunch, and joined the others.


	2. Chapter Two

**Author's Note:** Thank you for the four wonderful reviews. I appreciate it guys! Now, read on!

Two - _Home_**  
**

"Well, that was fun, wasn't it Ronald?" Hermione asked, taking off her jacket and hanging it in the closet. Then she turned to take Hugo's little jacket, and then her husband's.

"Yes, it was." He paused for a few moments. "What were you and Harry talking about, 'Mione?"

Hermione muffled a gasp; her eyes widened. "Oh, it was nothing. He simply asked me what I wanted for my birthday. After all, it's in a little over two weeks, remember?" Hermione commended herself for her quick coverup, although it did, at the same time, seem rather immature to be fooling around with her best friend behind her husband's back.

"Of course I remember." He paused again. "Did you two mention Gin at all? She and I had, should we say, an upsetting conversation," Ron said as he strode over to sit in front of the dark fireplace. The two lived in Godric's Hollow, just down the road from Harry's parents' deserted home. This time of year was gloomy and deserted. Most of the Muggle families who lived there rarely stayed year-round.

Godric's Hollow wasn't always the bleak place it was today. It all happened over thirty years before. There were enchanted flowerbeds that bloomed from March to October, and there were often families walking about. But then a certain Dark wizard invaded Godric's Hollow, and murdered the two people who cared for the little community. Since then, Godric's Hollow had been murky and lifeless.

"Actually, we never really brought her up. Why, Ron? Is something the matter?" Hermione hated lying to him, but she knew it was for the best.

"According to Ginny, Harry's been very distant. He's always gone in the morning hours before she wakes up, and doesn't return until late at night. They aren't physical anymore, and you know that's very important to Ginny."

Hermione sighed in aggrivation. "Ronald, you know that Harry has a very demanding job. You do too! I hardly ever see you either!" She couldn't help but feel annoyed with Ginny's ludicrousness. Why was she all fired up to make Harry look like the bad guy?

"Hermione, I don't understand why you are defending Harry. Ginny is my younger sister, 'Mione, and she deserves much more than what Harry gives her. You remember when we were just going off looking for the Horcruxes, and we walked in on Harry and Ginny. It was Harry's birthday, remember? He's been treating her like that since!"

"Ronald, I have no desire to argue with you this evening. Please, drop the subject." Hermione walked down the hallway to their bedroom. "Hugo, are you getting ready to help your mum cook dinner?"

After hearing the faint "Yes" from upstairs, Hermione proceded to her bedroom to change clothes. Staring at herself in the mirror, she noticed that she had more color to her face, her eyes were bigger, and she couldn't stop smiling. However, one of the still-undone buttons caught her eye. _Well, Ronald could just think it happened from moving around today. Nothing to get worked up about._ She unbuttoned and slid out of her black slacks, throwing them into the laundry hamper, and continued to her shirt. This, however, would not join her trousers, but would be hung up again in the closet. Hermione rarely felt comfortable walking around in her underwear, but today was one of those few instances where she felt she could. She walked from the closet to the large bureau, opened the second lowest drawer, and pulled out a pair of jeans. After tossing them on the bed, she pulled out a Gryffindor tee-shirt from the next drawer up. To her surprise, she heard the doorknob turn. "Hugo, if that's you, mummy's not ready yet." But the door opened, and Ron walked in. "Oh, it's you. I thought you were - "

But Ron hadn't let her finish. He placed his lips onto hers for a brief moment, and Hermione couldn't help but feel thoroughly invaded. She tried to make it less suspicious, and it had apparently worked. A moment later, he had released her from his bombarding kiss, and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Hermione looked up at him, then turned to grab her jeans from the bed. "For what, Ronald? For not understanding why I believe Harry is not a criminal in this situation? _I'm_ sorry, but I don't believe your sister is allowed to go nagging to you about not being able to have a shag every night. That's not fair." She hated how she sounded. Hermione noted that whining like an eleven-year-old first-year was utterly inappropriate.

At that, Ron lost it: "Hermione, just leave. I'll make dinner with Hugo, all right. I don't want you in my house."

Hermione was bewildered. "_Your_ house? _Your_ house?! How _dare_ you, Ronald! _Who_ made two-thirds of the payments with her savings towards _Muggle University_? _I did_! And you have the nerve to call it _your_ house?" Hermione never had gotten dressed more quickly. She threw on her tee shirt (backwards, but she didn't care much), and zipped her jeans. Storming down the hallway, Hermione grabbed a sweatshirt and crammed her feet into a pair of sneakers by the door. She tossed the sweatshirt over her head, and slammed the front door behind her.

The crisp September air hit her right in the face. She walked down the front steps, and turned right on the cobblestone walkway leading to the graveyard. Hermione knew exactly where she was going. She had often gone to the graveyard after a spat with Ron; it helped her let off steam.

Weaving in and out of old and new headstones, Hermione searched for the two she was looking for. Finally, she came up on them, and sat down so she was closer to them. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. Yes, it's Hermione again. I know this is silly of me to always come out here and talk to you, even though you both can't _really_ hear me. Ronald and I have had another argument, over your son. I care about your son a lot, you see, but I can't bring myself to tell anyone else how I feel." Hermione paused and took a deep breath. "Harry and I saw our daughter today. She's beautiful. Harry says she looks exactly the way I did, but I know she must have Harry's personality. I could tell by the way she held herself. Adara's so strong, like her father. I just wish that you two would be able to see her. Don't get me wrong, your other three grandchildren are beautiful too, but, oh, I don't know. I feel like I'm not, in any way, connected with them." Hermione sighed again, thinking that it was absolutely ridiculous to be sitting there, talking to, basically, the ground, but she continued, "I love your son. And if I weren't with Ronald, I'm sure that I would run away with him right now."

"So why don't you?" Came a familiar voice behind her.

Hermione closed her eyes and smiled. "How long have you been standing there, Harry?" She asked without turning around. Harry came to sit down beside her.

"Long enough," he said, taking her hand into his. "Did you have a bicker with your husband?"

"You listened in on the whole thing, didn't you, Harry?" Hermione looked down at her hand, which Harry was holding ever so gently. She didn't exactly like Harry eavesdropping on her personal business, but she understood that he was interested. After all, she was talking to _his_ parents.

"No, I didn't. But I do notice you come out here quite a bit, Hermione. At least three times a week. You keep forgetting that I live just over there, don't you? We're neighbors, Hermione!" Harry did his best to lighten up her mood.

Hermione smiled. "Hey Harry?"

Harry looked at her, but she continued to focus on their hands. "Yes?"

Her eyes reached his. "Can we move tomorrow night to this evening?" She looked so hopeful.

At this, Harry brought her hand to his lips, kissing it softly. "I thought you'd never ask." His grin was returned with a similar one on her face. "How about we skip the Hog's Head, and I make you dinner. Sound good?"

"Very. And thank you, Harry." Her eyes had moved down to the large plaque which labeled the spot of the Potters' bodies. "Do you miss them, Harry?"

Harry was a little surprised at her question. "Hermione, I've only seen them twice in my life. At least, only two times that I remember. And that was nearly twenty years ago. Of course, I'm disappointed that they missed their son growing up, and falling in love, and having children, and getting married, but I know that they didn't truly miss it. I with I had more time with them, and I would do nearly anything to have one last chance to see them."

Hermione remembered Harry's reaction the first time his parents "spoke" to him. He was fourteen, and he had just witnessed a friend's murder. He was distraught, terrified, alone. And then, three years later, he saw his parents as he marched to his death. The thought intimidated Hermione. Harry had _died_ before. "Did it hurt?" She blurted out.

"Did what hurt, Hermione?" Harry asked, obviously taken aback.

"Dying." Hermione said this no louder than a whisper.

Harry smiled. "You know, I asked Sirius the same thing, and he said that it was easier than falling asleep. You know what? He was right. It doesn't hurt at all, Hermione. I hope, however, you aren't planning on dying any time soon." He looked down at their hands; her thumb was sweetly grazing his skin.

"Oh, no, I'm not! I was just thinking about our last experience at Hogwarts." _Hogwarts_. Oh how she missed that school. McGonegal, after being appointed as the new Headmistress, had even offered Hermione a job as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. However, she had turned the job down. She would have loved to work there, but Ron wanted her closer to him. How hard would it have been to raise a family when she was gone for nine months of the year? "Do you want to go now?"

"Yeah, I need to get something from my house, tell Ginny I'm going out with a couple people, and I'll meet you back here in about five minutes, all right?" Harry stood up, and then helped Hermione.

"Sounds great. I'm going to change really quickly, okay?" Then it dawned on her. If Harry was making dinner, where were they going, if not his house. "Harry, where are we going?"

They started walking out of the graveyard. "That, _darling_, is a surprise." Harry went off towards his house, while Hermione went left, towards her's.

A moment later, she drew out her want, and Apparated into her bedroom. She stripped herself of her clothing entirely (only after locking the bedroom door, so Ron would not barge in again), and picked out her favorite set of undergarments. She slipped into the lacy lingerie, then pulled her jeans on. Instead of putting on her Gryffindor tee shirt back on, Hermione took out a V-necked black shirt which she was able to wear proudly. Hermione did not have overly-large breasts, however, she was pleased with the cleavage she did pull off. After putting on a pair of black Mary Janes, Hermione quietly opened the bedroom door and whispered, "Accio jacket." Her black Mary Jacket whizzed into the room and she threw it over her shoulders. After double checking how she looked, Hermione grabbed her wand and Apparated back to the graveyard.

Harry was waiting for her when she got there. "Ready?" He asked. After Hermione nodded, Harry took her hand and they were surrounded by blackness.


	3. Chapter Three

Three - _Number Twelve_

As their feet landed on the ground, Hermione inhaled a very familiar scent. She opened her eyes and found herself standing in front of Sirius Black's old house. Hermione remembered the last time she had been inside was when she, Harry and Ron went into hiding nineteen years before.

"Now," Harry said, turning to look Hermione right in the eyes, "Before you say anything, I have been working on this for the past sixteen years. I thought.. Well, I thought that you and I were going to take things to the next level, get married, and whatnot. However, since that hasn't happened yet, I would like to use this place as our own oasis." Harry looked as though he was going to burst with excitement.

Hermione couldn't help but smile back at him. "Lead the way, Potter," she joked. Hermione even closed her eyes. She wasn't expecting too much, but at the same time, she knew that when Harry set his mind to something, he'd do it.

The door, surprisingly, didn't creak when it was opened. Harry took Hermione's hand, and led her inside. "Okay, open."

Hermione's eyes fluttered open, and she gasped. The hallways was well-lit, there was a new layer of paint on the walls, and the furniture looked polished.. Almost as good as new. Hermione allowed herself to wander down the hallway and into the kitchen. Harry must've replaced the table and chairs, and polished the stove. "Harry, this is wonderful," she breathed.

Harry smiled, happy that his efforts were welcomed. "You can go look around upstairs, if you'd like. Meanwhile, I'll start dinner, okay?"

A loud "Pop" snapped Hermione out of her trance. "Kreacher brought Master things for dinner. Would Master like Kreacher's help?" The ragged old house elf teetered in, carrying all sorts of vegetables in his arms.

"Actually, Kreacher, could you please show Hermione the library? I think she needs to see what you helped me with," Harry said, winking in Hermione's direction. Hermione crinkled up her nose, smiling at the same time.

"Would you please, Kreacher. I would love to see what you and Harry worked on together."

Kreacher placed the vegetables on the large wooden table, bowed in Harry's direction, and hobbled down the hallway, beckoning for Hermione to follow. "Does Harry come here a lot, Kreacher?" Hermione asked as they walked upstairs.

Upon reaching the landing, the little elf replied, "Every day, Miss. Master has worked very hard on making Lady Black's house better. Master even tried restoring the burnt pictures on the family wall." Kreacher had, as far as Hermione could tell, become very fond of Harry, and Harry seemed to appreciate everything that the elf did in return.

They walked down the hallway, and went into the third door on the right. The windows in the library were noticably larger than in any of the other rooms, Hermione noted. And there were bookshelves at least twenty shelves high. Harry must have put a spell on the room in order to fit everything in it.

The evening sun shone in, casting a deep orange to glaze over the room. A large couch welcomed her, and _Hogwarts, A History_ was laying there, but was covered by _Quidditch Through the Ages_. Hermione thought that was Harry's idea of "light reading."

"Kreacher, how about you go help Harry? I'm sure he could use an aid," Hermione suggested, gazing outside at the sun sinking below the trees.

"Of course, Miss. I shall tell Master his lady would like him to come up. Kreacher will finish dinner, Miss." Before Hermione could protest, the house elf darted out of the room and padded his way downstairs. She stood up and started examining the titles on the book spines. After reaching the middle of one shelf, one book titled C_urses and Counter-curses (Bewitch Your Friends and Befuddle Your Enemies with the Latest Revenges: Hair Loss, Jelly-Legs, Tongue-Tying, and Much, Much More) _by Professor Vindictus Viridian.

"Why on earth would Harry have this?" Hermione asked the empty room. She took the book off of the shelf and began flipping through it. Harry had doggy-eared one of the pages, which explained how to give someone a pig's tail.

"I saw Hagrid give my cousin one of those. That's why I bought it." Hermione jumped when she realized she wasn't alone.

"Harry, you must stop doing that. You've given me quite a fright!" She shoved the book back onto the shelf, then glided over to Harry. "This is amazing, Harry."

Harry laughed. "I believe you've already said that." They both sat down on the couch, and Hermione draped her legs over Harry's left knee. "You know, Hermione, I'm really sorry that I never had the courage to ask you to marry me. I feel like an idiot now." Harry's brow furrowed, making it blatantly clear that he was cross with himself.

"Harry, you're not at idiot." Hermione paused. "You just were.. unsure of what you wanted. And now that you've figured it out, you don't know how you're going to change what you've already done." She grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together. "Nobody needs to know. I mean, if we want to give this a shot, I'm sure we could."

"God, Hermione, you sound so.. so ready, as if we were both twenty again. I wish we could bring those days back. You are, by far, the most amazing woman I've ever had the pleasure of meeting."

Hermione couldn't help but smile. Noticing that she was becoming a bit flustered, she unbuttoned her jacket and took it off, laying it on the arm of the couch. Harry's eyes had, as Hermione had predicted, went right to her chest. "Tsk, tsk, Potter, I thought that you would be able to control yourself."

Harry looked up, afraid that she was actually being serious, but was relieved when he saw her smiling. Harry felt like he was seventeen again. He didn't care if he was thirty-seven, married, and had three children; the woman in front of him drove him wild. He was overwhelmed with ecstacy, feeling incapable of holding back, a wave of yearning seizing him.

Hermione realized, too, what was going on with Harry, and she was overcome with a deep longing for him as well. She reached for the back of his neck, and pulled his face towards her's. Their mouths pressed together, and, at that instant, it was a race for time. Would Kreacher take long with finishing their meal? Would the two be able to explore each other with the limited time?

Harry reached for Hermione's waist, and pulled her to straddle his lap. Her long chestnut curls draped over her shoulders, drawing a curtain over their faces. Their kiss, or kisses, rather, became less careless, and more amorous. Neither of them wanted to ruin this, especially it had been so long since they had any physical contact. In fact, Harry remembered this was exactly how their first time occurred, except seventeen years ago.

_"I'm so sorry I'm bursting in on you like this. I just needed time away from the flat. Ronald, he just knows exactly how to make me angry. '_Oh why won't you put out anymore, Hermione? Can't we be intimate everyone once in a while?_' He just doesn't understand that I don't want to take that step with _him_. He's a nice guy but I can't make that commitment yet. I know he's not the one." Hermione was sitting on Harry's bed, twirling a lonely curl between her right middle and index finger. _

_Harry had lived been living by himself since three weeks after the battle at Hogwarts School. He had not dated since then; he was perfectly content with living alone. He also knew, however, that he would need to be there for Hermione. She and Ron had been going steady for three years, but Ron was ready to get a move on things, marry, and have children. Hermione had a different picture._

_She was still young; they all were! And Hermione felt as soon as she would settle down, she wouldn't have any fun anymore. No excitement, nothing to look forward to on weekends after a long five days at work. She simply wasn't ready. Harry understood that. If Ron was busy with his work cases, and couldn't take Hermione out on the weekends, Harry was much obliged to do so._

_"Hermione, it's okay, really. I don't mind you coming over here. I adore your company, actually." Harry moved to sit down beside her. He had always tried to be the comforting, loving friend who made everything seem a little bit better. _

_Hermione rested her head on his shoulder. "Did Cho or Ginny pressure you, Harry? I mean, into doing things you didn't want to?" Hermione seemed excruciatingly innocent asking this, but Harry couldn't help but answer honestly._

_"No, neither of them did. And that's why absolutely nothing happened. Sure, Ginny and I must've looked as though we slept together, but we never did. Please tell me you and Ron haven't done that yet. Well, what I'm saying is, I thought that you weren't like that.." Harry tried to catch himself. He would have been underhandedly angry if Ron would have done that to Hermione, telling her what she needed to do, with whom, and when. _

_"No, Harry," Hermione whispered. She wavered for a moment, thinking of what she could say to bring the subject to a close. "I really appreciate this, Harry. I've always been such a dolt when it comes to relationships. It would be so much easier if things were done without the "I love you," or "I want to marry you" at the end of every sentence. If it just _happened_, I'm sure I would be fine."_

_Harry was taken aback by Hermione's words. Was she handing herself to _him_Harry James Potter, the Boy Who Lived, Defeater of the Dark Lord, Ministry of Magic Auror couldn't believe what he was doing. He couldn't resist the temptation; he wriggled his shoulder out from under Hermione's shoulder and sympathetically placed his hands on either side of her face._

_The space between them closed._

_Their lips met for the first time, and sparks flew. Hermione couldn't help but feel the closest comfort in her best friend's kiss. It was exhilarating, intoxicating. The thought of Ronald Weasley slowly crept out of Hermione's mind; this was too good to avoid, to let go of. Ron would never treat her like this: he was sloppy, quick, and rough. Harry was the complete opposite: tender, languishing, infatuating. Hermione could feel her insides buzzing: she wanted Harry._

_Their kisses had become frenzied, and, slowly, they moved further up onto the bed, Hermione under Harry. Hermione had kicked her shoes off, and started to tug at the bottom of his tee shirt. "Mmm, Hermione, wait.." Harry used any tiny bit of self control he had left to stop what they were doing. "What about Ron? Hermione, I don't want _this_ to get out of hand. I mean, you are my closest friend in the entire world, we've been through enough already, and yes, I've had a physical attraction towards you for a while now, but, Hermione, are you okay with this?" Harry looked into her eyes with the most serene expression upon his face. _

_Hermione saw that he was concerned, but she had other thoughts running through her mind. "Harry, I want this, all right? I want this one experience, most of all, with you." She reached up to remove his glasses, and placed them on the bedside table. They kissed once more, then Harry stood up, preparing to strip Hermione of her clothes._

_He started with her stockings, which she was required to wear for work. She had come straight from the Ministry of Magic, after receiving a cruel owl from Ron. Harry reached beneath her skirt to the waist of her stockings, pulling them down and tossing them to the floor. Next came the black, knee-length skirt, also required in Hermione's profession. He found the zipper on her left hip, and her skirt had the same fate as the stockings. She was sporting lacy black panties, and, what Harry didn't know, a lacy bra to match. Starting at the bottom of her button-down shirt, Harry began undoing each button, kissing up her belly as he went. After getting to the last one, he pushed the blouse off of Hermione's shoulders and it joined the rest of her clothes on the floor. _

_Hermione didn't waste any time in removing Harry's clothing; she sat up, pulled his shirt over his head, and unbuttoned his trousers. Left only in their undergarments, they allowed themselves to explore each other's bodies. "Harry?" Hermione gasped as Harry's gentle rubbed his hands up and down her sides._

_"Yes, Hermione?" Harry slurred, overcome with lust. He found his mouth in the crook of her neck, lightly sucking the soft skin there._

_Hermione closed her eyes and let out a soft moan. "Have you ever done this before?" She asked breathlessly._

_Harry looked up at her and replied, "No, I haven't. Have you?"_

_She planted a quick kiss on his lips. "Not yet," she hummed. She brought her lips to his once more, and that was the end of the conversation. Harry stood up, prepared who expose himself entirely to the woman in front of him. He dropped his boxer shorts got back onto the bed. Hermione tried to avert her eyes from his quite-noticeable erection, but she failed miserably. _

_She lifted her bottom off of the bed and pulled her underwear down her legs. After they were off entirely, she turned to Harry, who was laying on his back. Hermione flipped one leg over so that she was straddling his waist. The tip of his erection poking at her womanhood, Hermione brought herself over it and allowed him to enter her fully. She sucked in a gasp while Harry let out a soft moan. She wasn't in any pain, which surprised her because she had just lost her virginity. Harry just looked at her; she looked perfect. Her long brown curls draped down past her full breasts, her eyes were closed, and her mouth was slightly opened, as if in ecstasy. _

_Harry brought his hands to her hips, and she began moving up and down his stiff shaft. Neither expected it to last very long; they were new to this unfamiliar pleasure. _

_Hermione came first, after a brief three minutes or so. Harry was nearly driven mad, feeling her clench tightly around him. And the noises she was making were simply so erotic. A muffled "Oh" or a buzzing "Mmmm" was enough to make Harry release after several more minutes. Hermione collapsed on top of him, breathing heavily. She kissed his cheek, and asked if she was hurting him. He muttered a no._

_"So, was it terrible?" Hermione breathed onto his bare chest._

_Harry sighed, smiling. "Hermione, you were wonderful. It was better than I could have ever imagined." He kissed the top of her head, and wrapped his arms around her. Instead of her returning home that night, Hermione decided to stay at Harry's flat. Just a few moments later, they had fallen asleep._

"Master, your meal is ready!" Kreacher called from downstairs. Hermione stopped kissing him, and quickly sat down beside him, afraid that the house elf would burst into the room. Instead, nothing happened. They could hear the clatter of dishes downstairs; Kreacher was setting the table for them.

"C'mon, Hermione. You heard the elf, and he's often upset when one doesn't come down when he calls." Harry smiled and stood, adjusting his shirt. Hermione pulled her shirt down as well, which Harry had lifted so he could cup her breasts. Hermione had always thought Harry had the greatest snog. He was just so - into it, and Hermione almost always felt fully satisfied.

Harry took her hand in his, and led her downstairs. Upon entering the kitchen, a fairytale setup was presented to them. There was a while table cloth, with sparkling silverware, two glasses of wine already poured, and one simple white candle. "This is beautiful," Hermione stated, walking over to one of the chairs.

Kreacher walked over with both plates, placed one in front of Hermione, and the other across from her. The little elf had definitely outdone himself; he had steamed the vegetables he held earlier, placed some sort of oriental rice next to it, and made a glazed chicken to top it off. "This looks amazing," Harry said to Kreacher.

"Always ready to serve Master. Kreature will be in his room if Master needs anything." The elf hobbled off down the hall and went into the first door on the right.

They wasted no time to get started. Dinner was done in twenty minutes, and they just chatted of old memories. As soon as they were finished, Harry took her up to the master bedroom, where they continued where they had left off.

"Hermione, I've missed you. I've waited so long for you to come here, and so long for us to be together again." Harry was reaching for Hermione as they sat on the very-large king-sized bed.

"I want it to be like this forever, okay? Can we just try to make it happen, please, Harry?" Hermione walked over to him, kicking her shoes off before she crawled onto bed with him.

"Of course, Hermione."

As soon has she heard this, she drew out her wand, pointed it to her chest, and muttered, "_Aufero induviae_." In an instant, she was sitting there in nothing but her undergarments, ready to present herself to him.

Harry's eyes turned into large saucers. She was wearing the smallest white-lace bra and a matching pair of panties. He could see, as the cool air of the house hit her, that her nipples were hardening beneath the white lace. He leaned down and kissed the area above her bra, just at the rise of her left breast.

Hermione took her wand again and muttered the same spell, only, this time, she pointed it at Harry. He was sitting there beside her, just in his boxer shorts. She allowed herself to smile slightly before they kissed.

Soon they were crying each other's names out in ecstasy as they were both reaching their peak. As they lay there, arms entangled, they realized just how much they meant to one another.


	4. Chapter Four

**Author's Note**: Hello, guys! I appreciate everyone's feedback; it's _really_ encouraging. However, I've only gotten thirteen reviews for this whole fic so far. There have been more "Favorite Story" "Favorite Author" "Story/Author Alert" requests than reviews. In fact, those have amounted to nearly seventy. I'm simply requesting that if you read this, and you like it, or you don't, _please review_! Thank you!

Four- _Excuses_

It was past midnight by the time Harry and Hermione were done with their getaway escapade. He made sure that Hermione got into her house quietly, not wanting to disturb Ron or Hugo. Unfortunately, Harry's entrance would be an issue, only because Ginny had started waiting up for him.

"Where have you been?" Ginny asked, sneaking up on Harry as soon has he had closed the front door.

"Out, obviously." Harry turned to go upstairs to their bedroom. He strode past his wife, who stood there, her hands on her hips. After walking up the stairs and finally getting to his room, Harry pulled his tee shirt over his head. He threw it and his trousers into a half-empty laundry hamper, and then climbed into bed. Ginny came in moments later, a smug look on her face.

She was wearing a small nightgown, which revealed her long, slender legs. Her flaming hair tousled over her shoulders. "So. Do you want to have sex?" She purred, crawling onto the bed, moving on all fours towards Harry.

He closed his eyes. No, he didn't want to. He had just slept with the girl Ginny couldn't even dream about catching up to. "You know, Gin, I'm actually really tired." Harry tucked his right arm beneath his head and looked up at his wife. "Sorry."

Ginny's face fell, and a perturbed sigh escaped from her. She sat down, her butt on her pillow, and crossed her legs. "God, Harry, what am I doing wrong? Do you think I'm unquestionably ugly? Just please let me know so I can fix the problem." Ginny pulled the comforter up over her legs.

Harry turned to her, propping his head up in his hand. "Ginny, it's not you, okay? Don't get me wrong, you are beautiful, funny, everything that I could ever ask for. It's just that I'm not in the mood."

"But Harry you're never in the mood! That's the problem. I don't understand why we haven't been intimate for the past year."

Harry interrupted her. "Ginny, we had sex just a week ago. We just haven't been together as much as you would have liked."

This irritated Ginny. "Fine, then let's do it now. Right now. It has been a week, as you pointed out." She pushed the subject, confident that he would soon give in.

He sighed, sulking. "Ginny," he said firmly, "I would rather not, simply because I've had a long day. Remember, we went to King's Cross, out to lunch, and then I had to make a trip to the Ministry. I am exhausted."

Ginny, however, persisted. "Fine, then I'll do all the work. You can just sit back and watch, okay?" She straddled his waist and began kissing his neck.

Harry was in no mood to protest; he was exhausted and obviously didn't have the energy to force her to stop. All he could do was close his eyes. He did his best to make things good enough to make her happy. Ginny, however, was so much more different from Hermione. Ginny was strictly skinny, with protruding hipbones and very large breasts. She used her body to to get things moving. Hermione, on the other hand, had a small belly; she had yet to get rid of her little bump from three children, and Harry found this completely attractive. She had had that bump since Adara was born.

_It was a cold afternoon, in mid-January. Hermione was rushing, no, running, down the street towards Harry's flat. Sure, she was attracting looks from people on the street, but she didn't care. This was _far_ more important. She ran up the four steps to the front door, and pounded as hard as she could with both hands. _

_It took Harry nearly two minutes to answer the door, so as soon as he opened the door, Hermione stomped in, not caring that Harry wasn't clothed in anything but his boxer shorts. "Hermione, it's eight-thirty. What's going on?" Harry was scratching his head, following her into the living room._

_"You can sit down, if you feel like it, but I'm telling you in two seconds, got it?" Hermione growled, pacing the living room, unraveling her scarf from her neck and tossing her thick winter jacket on the coffee table. Harry had chosen to stand. "Fine, have it your way." Hermione paused and took a few deep breaths. "Okay, here goes." Another pause. "I'm pregnant."_

_It took a moment for the statement to sink into Harry's brain. "Wh-what?" His eyes widened._

_"Harry, you heard me. You think you're shocked, what about me?!"_

_Harry sat down on the couch, rubbing his forehead. His brow furrowed,and he looked as though he blamed himself. "How long?" Was all he could ask._

_Hermione decided that it would be best to sit down beside him, and talk about it reasonably. "Sixteen weeks, Harry."_

_He didn't exactly know what else to say. This was certainly a surprise to him, and he, obviously, didn't know how to handle such news. Any other young man would probably have been celebrating, jumping around joyously. Harry, however, was shocked. "What are we going to do, Hermione? Ron has no clue about this, right?" _

_Hermione's heart sank. She had forgotten about Ronald. If it was just her and Harry, she would be perfectly content with the situation. Perhaps they would marry, and have a very large family, but who knew? How would she tell Ron than she was carrying Harry's child? She wouldn't even give herself to him! "I'm keeping this child, Harry. If it tears Ron and I apart, so be it." Hermione folded her arms across her chest. _

_"Hermione, I'm really sorry about this. I'm really not ready for it and.." He trailed off. _

_Hermione knew that he was hiding some valuable information from him. "What?" She asked, squinting her eyes, trying to make herself look fierce._

_Harry closed his eyes, and covered his mouth with his left hand. He sighed, opened his eyes again and said, "I've started dating Ginny again."_

_Hermione's jaw dropped open. "So, you expect me to raise this child on my own, do you, Harry?" Her voice was shaking, her face turning scarlet._

_"Did I mention that at all, Hermione? If I can recall, I didn't. I don't see what your problem is, here. After all, there are perfectly normal ways in coping with these things. There's the Muggle Birth Control method, or a Muggle condom, or there's the _Ingravesco_ charm. Or, heaven forbid, you could actually take this child to term and give it up for adoption. Goodness, Hermione, are we honestly that daft to not think of these possibilities?" Harry couldn't understand why this entire situation was his fault. Last he had checked, the feelings had been mutual, and the act was done consensually._

_Hermione was furious. "Oh, I'm sorry, Harry, this is entirely my fault. I mean, I definitely have both a vagina and a penis and I simply felt the urge to inseminate myself. Hell, I thought I would just get myself pregnant for the heck of it, just to piss you off!"_

_Harry couldn't help himself. He burst out laughing. He couldn't recall Hermione sounding more ridiculous._

_"Don't you _fucking_ laugh at me, Harry!" _

_He immediately stopped. He couldn't recall Hermione saying the word "_fuck_" either. "Hermione, this can be handled, all right? I'm sure everything will be fine. Have you slept with Ron yet?"_

_Hermione shook her head. _

_"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. Why couldn't Hermione've slept with Ron and then said that this was their child? Perhaps it would have been unreasonable to lie to him like that, but it would have saved both Harry and Hermione from a long list of explanations. "Would you ever give it up for adoption?" Harry asked, unable to allow the thought of keeping the child enter his mind._

_Hermione sighed. "I suppose so. But Harry, you don't understand! I've wanted children forever, and now I have to get one go? That's not exactly fair. Why can't you just leave Ginny and run away with me?" She was winding down, obviously saddened._

_Harry took her hand. "Hermione, I would, but I can't. And you can't leave Ron. You two are meant to be together. Honestly. Ever since we first started school, it was clear to everyone that you two were soulmates. It was so evident since day one. You're meant to be with Ron, and as the story goes, I'm supposed to be with Ginny."_

_"But why can't we just show everyone wrong, give them a little surprise, and be with each other?"_

_"Hermione." He paused. "Deep down, you know that Ron is for you, and I was some mistake, all right. That was four months ago, Hermione. Four months! And you've been with Ron for nearly three and a half years. I will always be here for you, as a best friend, and nothing will ever change that, okay? I care about you too much." It really hurt him that he was letting her go like this. Harry loved Hermione, more than anything. She was his night and day, but he knew that she couldn't leave Ron. He would die without her. Harry, on the other hand, would have to watch her fall deeper in love with his other best friend. He needed to do this for their sakes._

_Hermione was on the brink of tears. "You're right, Harry. You're right as always. I'll give this child up, and I'll marry Ron, and start our family."_

_Harry's heart fell, but he knew it was for the best. _

_Over the next several months, Hermione's belly grew bigger and bigger. She had kept it a secret from Ron, simply by using her _Specialis Venter_ spell, which hid her large midsection. She and Harry had met with several different wizarding couples who were looking to adopt. Finally, they found the Winggenrogh's. They were a pleasant couple in their mid-twenties. They had been trying for a child for nearly eight years, but were unsuccessful. They were very appreciative of Harry and Hermione to choose them to parent their child._

_On a rainy day in June, on the fourth, to be exact, Hermione went into labor. Luckily, she was with Harry, instead of Ron. He took her to St. Mungo's, where they had already arranged a very private delivery, enlightening the healers of their situation. They couldn't have been more understanding. Harry was by her side the entire time, all seven hours of the painful labor. _

_"Hermione, just take your time. There's no rush here, okay?" He sat beside her bed, wiping her sweaty forehead, only three hours in. _

_"Harry, you see, that's where you're _very wrong_. This baby_ needs_ to come out right now!" She let out a cry. The healers, however, wouldn't allow her to push yet. They explained the risks, kept her informed every half hour of her dilation progress. Finally, at six thirty, she was ready._

_Harry gave her his hand, and by the end of it all, it was swollen and red. "Last push, okay? Ready, go!" The assisting healer counted down from ten, but Hermione felt a relief after only four seconds. Cries filled the room, and the healers rushed the baby to be cleaned before presenting her to her mother._

_"Here's your little girl! Congratulations, she's beautiful." The crying red baby was placed in Hermione's quivering arms. Harry couldn't do anything except admire the sight in front of him: there was Hermione, exhausted and sweaty, gently rocking a scarlet, screaming baby girl. _

_Regret panged through Harry's body. Oh how he would love this all to be his. He would take care of them both, taking his daughter out in a stroller every day, helping the love of his life Hermione with dinner every night. But he knew that it wouldn't happen. In two days, things would go back to normal. Hermione would go back to Ron, forgetting that she ever had a fling with Harry. And their baby girl would be going home with her very-thankful new parents._

_"Harry, you want to meet her?" Hermione was offering the baby to him. He gently took her from Hermione's arms, staring down at the tiny girl laying in his arms. Her eyes flickered open, and she let out a yawn, before shutting her eyes and falling asleep._

_"Hazel," he muttered. _

_"What, Harry?" Hermione was puzzled._

_"Her eyes are hazel. But they do have a brighter green tint to them." He couldn't take his eyes off of the baby. And when the healers came to take her away to the Winggenrogh's, it took a good ten minutes to pry his arms away from her._

_Harry stayed with Hermione in the hospital that night. As she slept in her bed, he stayed awake, thinking of the life he had just given up. It would have been perfect. Just the three of them together. The next day, Hermione was discharged from St. Mungo's. Harry made sure she was safely at home, tucked in bed, resting, before he went home. It was eight in the morning. He had been up all night, and after getting home, he went into his room, and fell into a restless sleep._

"Do you like that, Harry?" Ginny purred in his left ear. She was on top of him, trying her best to please him. Harry did his darndest to act as though he was enjoying it, but he could only think of Hermione. Hermione was so sensual, taking things slowly and making their sex romantic. Ginny was rough. She liked the word "kinky" best. Ginny would whisper naughty things to Harry, just to tease him a little bit.

She wouldn't give up tonight. After nearly thirty minutes, she started asking, "Are you getting close?" And then she repeated herself every thirty seconds after that. Finally, Harry decided to fake it. He obviously wouldn't be able to finish for a second time tonight.

"Harry, thank you.. You were great." Ginny rolled over a moment later and Harry heard her snoring softly.

Down the road, however, there was a different story. Hermione was unable to get to sleep; tonight had been more than perfect to her. She had missed Harry a lot: there had always been tension between them since Adara had been born.

Hermione was sitting on the floor, her old Hogwarts trunk beside her. She had used it for storage of photo albums, gifts, books, and whatever else she could find. She was paging through one of the larger photo albums. Hagrid had sent it to her nearly two years after she left the school; he had been collecting enchanted photos of her, Ron and Harry, starting with their first year together at Hogwarts. Hagrid had succeeded in filling it with easily over two hundred photographs. There were many from the Yule Ball their fourth year, of her dancing with Viktor. And there were some from their first year, too.

The three of them used to be so little. Ron and Harry used to be the same height, with Hermione always a tad shorter. Hermione nearly didn't recognize herself: she had rather large teeth, and her untamed hair looked absolutely dreadful. Harry drowned in his cousin's old clothes, while Ron's clothing was too small for him.

"Hermione, what're you doing up so late?" She hadn't heard Ron come down the hallway from their bedroom. Hermione quickly put everything away and stood in front of him.

"I was just going through some old things," she said, "I just got home and I couldn't sleep. My mind's been so cluttered lately." She took his hand in his. "Let's try and get some sleep, okay, Ronald?"

Ron leaned over and kissed her cheek softly. "I'm sorry." They walked back to their bedroom and tried their best to get some sleep.


	5. Chapter Five

**Author's Note:** Finally an update! I have been stressed out beyond belief and I've now got time to update. I appreciate the **six individuals** who were kind enough to review. I would, however, like a little more feedback. Thanks!

Five - _Hermione's Birthday_

The next few weeks passed quickly, and uneventfully. It was coming up on the nineteenth of September, which meant one thing to Harry: Hermione's thirty-eighth birthday. Not sure of what to give her or surprise her with, Harry decided to approach Ginny.

"Have you thought about Hermione's birthday yet, Gin?" They both were standing in the kitchen; Ginny was tending to the coffee, while Harry was skimming over the cover of the Daily Prophet.

"Well, I was thinking about treating her to a day at that new spa in Equadron Alley. I've already made an appointment for tomorrow at two o'clock in the afternoon." She brought a hot mug of coffee to her lips and gulped. "What about you? I'm sure Hermione would love a new book or a couple galleons."

Harry sighed. "That's the problem, Ginny, I've only given her a new book or a bit of money for the past ten years. Why can't things actually change this year? I mean, Ginny, we're all getting older. Soon, we'll all be fifty, then sixty, and maybe even seventy or eighty years old! Doesn't that worry you at all? What will your friends think if you've been giving them the same gifts for nearly forty years? They'll think less of you each year."

This annoyed Ginny. "I was only suggesting, Harry. My goodness, I never thought that you had to be so creative in buying a gift for one of your best friends." She paused a moment, and took some time to nurse her coffee a bit more. "I don't understand what's gotten into you lately. I hardly see you; you're always cooped up at work until two in the morning, and then you disappear again at eight. Lily misses you, Harry. She's only seen you maybe four times in the past two weeks. Can't you just come home for dinner every night, just so we can spend some time with you? It would mean the world to the both of us. I actually can't believe you're home today. It's a lovely change." She glided over to her husband, and rested her chin on his shoulder. Ginny suddenly had a change in mood; she quickly became seductive and mystical, trying her best to lure Harry back to their bedroom. "In fact," she purred into his left ear, "Lily has gone over to see Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron, so we have the house to ourselves for the next--" She checked the clock, "Twenty minutes." She began tugging at the back of his shirt, taking the time to untuck it from his pants.

"Did I not just get through saying that I need to purchase a gift for Hermione. It's her birthday in two days, Ginny. And you've managed to take my entire paycheck, once again, to go and pamper yourself. Maybe we should use it to buy Lily new books, or finally get that set of furniture for the family room that we've wanted for the past four years. Honestly, Ginny, do you really need to go get a facial or a body mask every other week?"

Ginny's mood had vanished just as quickly as it had come. "I'm sorry, but being Harry Potter's wife isn't exactly the most easy thing in the world. Sure, it's been nineteen years, Harry, but people don't forget that you actually rid the world of the most evil wizard time has ever seen. Do you think that people forget that Dumbledore defeated Grindelwald? No, they don't. It's written in most historic wizarding textbooks, in old documented news papers, and even on chocolate frog cards! Harry, people never forget when something pretty heroic happens. And being your wife has come with many comforts, but Harry, there have also been many harassing features as well. Honestly, I've counted myself in the Witch Woe Weekly twenty-six times. Twenty-six! '_Mrs. Potter Suffers from Eating Disorder_,' '_Skin Clearing Spell Gone Bad for Harry Potter's Honey_.' You can't imagine half the things said about me, Harry."

Harry couldn't bear hearing this any longer. "Well, I'm so sorry, Ginny," he said sarcastically, "Would you feel better if we went before the Wizengamot and asked to be divorced? Please, tell me Ginny so that we can have the Witch Woe Weekly write about that!" Harry grabbed his coat and stormed out the front door.

He didn't understand why Ginny was making such a big deal about a birthday gift. Yes, Harry thought that Hermione was worth his entire salary.. his net worth, everything; but it wasn't right for Ginny to have to feel she needed to put all her effort into making herself look presentable. So what if the press wanted to exploit their personal lives? Harry had to deal with it since day one.

Harry withdrew his wand and Apparated to Equadron Alley. This was one of the high-end wizarding alleys. There were expensive jewelery shops, several fancy restaurants, and the most luxurious hotel known the the wizarding world. The street was quite bare; there were a few older couples window shopping, and a nervous young man peering into a jewelery store that Harry was thinking of entering.

"You all right there, man?" Harry asked, placing his hand on the doorknob of the shop.

The man turned to look at Harry. "Is this a good store for engagement rings?" He couldn't have been a day over twenty; his face was young, and he seemed to attempt to look older by sporting a suit with tie.

Harry smiled. "Yeah, you want some help?"

The young man nodded. "I really need it. Please."

Harry opened the door, held it open for the man in front of him, and then stepped in himself. There were large cases of jewels and gems of every shape, size and color.

"You have a wife, sir?" The man asked, striding to the case nearest to the door.

"Yes, I do. And, please, call me Harry. No need to 'sir' me." Harry joined him, wanting to see what he was looking at. There was a handsome citrine gem placed in a delicate yellow golden claw on a thin shank. Harry admitted to himself, this man knew what he was doing.

"How long have you been married?" The man asked, pointing out the ring to the seller.

Harry thought a moment. "It will be sixteen years this November." He watched the young man examine the ring, marveling at its sparkle. "What's you're name?" Harry asked.

The man nodded to the seller, signaling that he would buy it. "Kale. Kale Dursley."

Harry's mind screeched. "D-Dursley, you said?"

"Yes, why? Anything significant about my name?" Kale looked at Harry, concerned.

"What's your father's name?" Harry asked, quite intrigued at this point.

Kale paused, took out a bag filled with golden galleons, handing over a handful. "Dudley. Why do you ask, sir?"

Harry couldn't believe it; he was actually conversing with his cousin's child. "Dudley Dursley is my cousin. I'm Harry Potter."

The man's mouth dropped. "Harry Potter? The defeater of Lord Voldemort? My father's cousin? Are you serious, sir?" Kale was flabbergasted. Was he actually related somehow to the most famous wizard of all time?

"That's right. Tell me, Kale, how old are you?"

"Nineteen, sir."

Harry, this time, was shocked. "Nineteen and your getting married?" Kale nodded, and Harry continued. "How did your father react when you started doing magic? I don't know if you realize this, but your grandparents were quite terrified of witches and wizards."

Kale laughed. "I know about Mum-mum and Pops. My dad was actually quite pleased. He had always been intrigued by magic and was joyous when he realized his son would attend the greatest school in the world. He's mentioned you, of course, and used to tell me stories of how much of a jerk he was to you. Dad seems really guilty about it, actually." There was an awkward pause. "He's changed a lot. When I was going into my third year at Hogwarts, he suffered from a major heart attack. He was thirty three, and his health was dramatically gong downhill. He underwent surgery and is now healthy as ever. Would you like me to tell him we met up?"

Harry nodded. He took a small paper from his jacket pocket and scribbled his address on it. "Yeah, that would be nice. Actually, could you give him this. Tell him to stop by if he'd like. Good luck with the proposal." Harry smiled and handed over the paper. Kale thanked him and was on his way.

This left Harry to search the store for the perfect gift for Hermione. He looked through necklaces, rings, earrings, but wasn't pleased. Looking in the last case left searching, Harry's eyes rested on a thin white-gold bracelet. There was a single charm on it, with an encrusted sapphire; it was perfect. Fortunately for Harry, it was a small four galleons. He placed it into his pocket, left the store, and Apparated back to his neighborhood.

Ginny wasn't there when he returned. A note was left on the counter, reading, "_Back late tonight. Pick up Lily and make dinner please_." Harry shook his head, walked back to his bedroom and kicked his shoes off after laying on the bed. He looked to the stand beside his bed, where a picture of Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and himself smiled back at him. It was taken just after Voldemort's defeat, on the grounds of Hogwarts. The grand castle stood proudly in the background.

"Knock knock!" A voice called from down the hall way.

"In here," Harry called back. He was laying quite still, but was able to note that Hermione was walking down the hall towards him. She crawled onto the bed beside him, and kissed his forehead.

"What've you been up to? Did I wake you?" She cuddled up against him.

Harry put his right arm around her, and said, "Oh, no, of course not. I actually just got back from buying your birthday gift."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "You know I would love to have it now, but you should wait until the four of us are together. However, you can make it up to me..." She muttered a simple locking charm so the door slammed shut. "Ron took the children out to Quidditch Park for the afternoon, he thinks I'm cleaning the house, Ginny's not here.." Hermione propped herself up on her left arm, looking straight at Harry.

Harry turned to face her. He smiled, gazing into her familiar face. "Oh, before I forget. You'll never guess who I saw today," he said, taking his glasses off and placing them on the beside table. Hermione's brow furrowed. "My cousin's son. He's nineteen, went to Hogwarts, and is getting married. I was quite impressed."

Hermione smiled. Harry, however, didn't waste any time. He placed his hand on the back of her head and brought her face to his. He could feel her smiling against his lips, and his hands proceeded to her waist, where he tugged at the hem of her sweater.

With one, swift move, it was over her head and beside them on the bed. To Harry's surprise (and liking, too), nothing was under that sweater; Hermione had deliberately not worn a shirt or brassière. Harry allowed his hands to tease her, only by a gentle pinch or a slight squeeze.. Nothing too harsh for such a delicate-looking woman.

Hermione permitted a moan or two to escape her mouth every couple of moments. Within moments, they both lay naked, as close as any two human beings ever could be. They sped up, their breathing becoming erratic. He knew that she was close, so he slipped a hand between her legs. This was a change for them. Never had Harry dared to pump in and out of her while touching her most intimate spot at the same time. Hermione's moans became louder and longer, and not before long, her body convulsed, and she came to her peak.

Harry didn't wait too long after that. He enjoyed laying beside her, watching her naked bosom rise and fall with each deep breath she inhaled. "That. That was..." she couldn't find a word to describe the experience Harry had just put her through.

"Glorious?" Harry suggested, grinning at her. She nodded in agreement. Harry always knew just the word for everything. He was just.. special, that way.

"Do you think they suspect anything?" Hermione asked, reaching for her underwear, which were conveniently on the floor.

Harry began gathering her clothes which were scattered on Ginny's side of the bed. "I don't think so, Hermione. I mean, have Ron and you," he paused and gulped, "been together recently?" Harry hated the subject, but he knew that was truly the only way he could answer her question.

Hermione sighed. "Only once or twice. Have you been intimate with Ginny?"

"Same, only once or twice. Then, I don't think they have a clue. I'm sure one of us would have been approached by now. Oh, and Hermione, it's not like this is new, right? I mean, we have been together before."

Hermione laughed. "You're right, Harry. This is nothing out of the ordinary for us." She pulled her underwear up her legs and then threw her sweater over her head.

"My goodness, dear. Your bottom looks quite good from this angle," Harry teased. There was a long silence between them. Hermione sat down beside him, folding her pants in her lap. Harry stood up and pulled his underwear and trousers as well. "Why isn't it we got married? God, Hermione, I beat myself up every single day about it. I can't believe I let you go."

Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and squeezed. "You never let me go, Harry. You never did anything wrong. Who accepted Ron's proposal? Last I checked I was the one married to him, not you." The thought of Harry and her husband being married didn't sit well in her mind. She shook the thought away. "Everyone just expected it to end up this way, Harry. You married Ginny the bombshell, and Ron married the mediocre looking bookworm." Harry opened his mouth to protest, but she continued, "It was just waiting to happen. And I thought that when you told me you started dating Ginny again.. I thought it meant you and I were over. Obviously, I was wrong."

Harry was surprised with what he was hearing. "I never meant for it to be over. Hermione, honestly, I thought that you were just going to run back to live your life with Ron as soon as the baby was born. I'm sorry I didn't make it clear to you..." Harry let his voice trail off. "I love you, Hermione."

It was quite simply stated, and Hermione adored it. "I love you too," she said, reaching for her jeans.

Harry watched her finish getting dressed. "Are you leaving?" Harry stood up and began dressing himself.

Hermione nodded, buttoning her pants. "I think I must. But aren't we all doing something tomorrow night? Or maybe the day after? That's what Ron mentioned, at least."

Harry thought back to what Ginny had said earlier. "I think Ginny planned a day for you two tomorrow. Maybe Friday we'll be going out," he said as he finished dressing.

Hermione took his hand and led him downstairs to the front door. "I'll probably see you later, okay?" Hermione gave him a very hard kiss on the mouth and let herself out of the door.

"See you, Hermione," he called as she walked out of the front gate. He had always hated when he had to say goodbye to Hermione. He was releasing her to her husband, his best friend. He had simply mistaken her; Hermione had truly wanted to spend her life with him, Harry Potter. He had just been too late.

Harry shook the thought from his head. He needed to start dinner for himself and Lily. He couldn't imagine Ron having the children out much longer. He strode into the kitchen and opened the cupboard nearest to the stove. Harry found a box of pasta and decided that was what he was in the mood for.

Harry was blessed with many hidden talents, cooking included. His experience at the Dursleys' house had prepared him; after all, Harry did make three meals a day for them for seven years. Aunt Petunia was picky with variety; they couldn't dare eat the same meal once in two weeks, so Harry did his research for recipes.

Fifteen minutes after Harry had started boiling the water, Lily walked in. "Daddy!" She ran into his arms, hugging him as hard as he could.

Harry realized that he had missed his daughter. It would be a good change to have some alone time with her. The evening went by quickly, including dinner and a movie. Ginny was still not home by eleven o'clock, so Harry decided to put Lily to bed.

Harry waited up for Ginny; he sat on the couch and flipped through old school books. Finally, at nearly three, he dozed off.

The next morning Harry was woken by Lily. She was running around, trying to find a clean pair of socks. Harry took notice that Ginny had not come home; everything was just as it had been when he had fallen asleep.

"Daddy, where did Mum go last night? It's Aunt Hermione's birthday and she's going to miss it!" Lily was pouring herself a bowl of cereal as she complained to her father.

Harry sat down beside her at the table. "How about you walk over to their house and give Hermione her gift. I'll meet you over there in an hour or so, all right?"

Lily finished eating and hurried to her aunt and uncle's house. Harry, on the other hand, went to shower. He was actually worried about his wife; why hadn't she come home? Was she hurt?

Harry rushed through his shower, in and out in five minutes. As soon as he stepped out of the steamy bathroom, Ginny walked in. "Where have you been?" Harry asked as he strode over to the bureau.

Ginny kicked her shoes off and laid down on the bed. "Nowhere." She was quiet.

Harry walked over to her and sat down on the bed. Ginny avoided his hand as he reached for her shoulder. "Ginny, what's wrong? What's gotten into you?"

She let out an exasperated sigh. "We just aren't... working, Harry. I hate us not being like we used to. Remember when we first were married? Everything was bliss. Now it's like we're my parents! Harry, I don't want to be the plain and simple couple that popped out babies, and then became boring. I want to go dancing, go to parties, go to extravagant functions, everything!"

Harry chuckled. "Ginny, you know I don't like those types of things. I never did! The Yule Ball has turned me off parties for life. But that doesn't answer my question of where you were.."

Ginny turned to him, laying on her left side. "Well, I went out." As soon as she had rolled over, Harry smelled a strong musk, nothing that he had ever smelled before. His nose crinkled.

"Ginny..."

"What, Harry?" She was playing innocent.

This time, Harry sighed. "Never mind, Ginny. What time are you and Hermione going out?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I already told you, Harry, yesterday. Two o'clock.. In.. shoot, one hour." She stood up and stripped her clothes from her body. Tossing her clothes into the hamper, Ginny scampered to the bathroom for a shower. Harry pulled her jeans from the laundry basket as soon as he heard running water. Reaching into the pockets, he found a small sheet of paper."

_John  
02073186465_

Harry had expected it. He was being unfaithful to her, so why would she not go for someone else? He pushed the paper back into her jean pockets.

Ginny emerged from the bathroom forty-five minutes later. After dressing into comfortable sweats, she grabbed her wand and muttered "_Siccus saeta._" In an instant, her damp, red hair was dried, and she gathered it all together and put it into a ponytail. Harry was asleep on the bed, so Ginny walked over to him and kissed him on his forehead.

Afterwards, she grabbed her purse, and headed to her brother's house. It was no surprise to her when she found Lily there, playing with Hugo. Ron and Hermione were sitting on the couch; he was reading the paper, she was flipping through a photo album. "Happy birthday, Hermione!"

Hermione grinned, and stood up to hug her sister-in-law. "Ginny, what are you doing here? Just stopping by to say happy birthday, I expect?" She was truly surprised to see Ginny at her house.

"Actually, I've scheduled us at a spa, if that's all right? I mean, I thought we could chat, pamper ourselves, you know." Ginny was trying not to look obvious; she has really only wanted to go as an excuse to waste a little bit of money.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Really? That sounds great! I'll just get my pocketbook." Hermione disappeared into the other room, gently kissed Ron goodbye, and the two of them Apparated to Equadron Alley. They walked into the third shop on the right, and we greeted with a floral perfume and a gentle heat.

Ginny strode to the front counter and gave the receptionist their names. Soon they were on their way to the back of the spa, stripping down for a hot rock massage. They were able to relax for a long forty-five minutes, until they were escorted to another room for a manicure/pedicure session.

In the middle of their pedicure, Ginny broke the silence. "Hermione, can you keep a secret? I mean, it's not one of my usual ones." She was picking at her cuticals.

Hermione smiled. "Sure, what's going on?" She closed her eyes, enjoying her foot massage.

Ginny took in a deep breath. "I've been, well, unfaithful to Harry."

Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she turned to Ginny. "Wh-what? Since when? I thought you and Harry were- erm.. Okay?" She didn't want to seem to obvious. After all, Harry had only been running to her every other day for the past three weeks, and they had most certainly been intimate.

"Well, he's been rather distant, so I have this guy John on the side. He knows I'm married to _the_ Harry Potter, but he's okay with it all. Harry's just.. not fulfilling my sexual needs." Ginny didn't seem to be disappointed in herself, rather, she was quite smug. "Besides, I want a divorce."

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What about your children? And how are you going to tell Harry?!"

Ginny was still preoccupied with her cuticals. "I was actually wondering if you could tell him. I'll take the children, of course, but I would like to avoid Harry at all costs. Except tonight. Of course I'll be pleasant. It's your birthday dinner!"

Hermione's mood had made a complete U-turn. How could Ginny ever be so bitter to her husband of nearly eighteen years? "I can't do that to Harry. I love him to death, Ginny, and he's my best friend! You can't expect me to do your dirty work for you."

Ginny smiled. "Oh, but I do. You see, I know you haven't been with Ron, so you're going to someone else. I have leverage, Hermione."

Hermione was disappointed. Of course Ginny was right about this, but perhaps she didn't know that Harry was her love interest. At the same time, Hermione didn't want Ron to be disappointed with her. "Okay. I'll tell him tonight."

Ginny sat there as smug as could be. The rest of their hour passed quickly, and they headed home. Ginny decided to stay with her brother and her daughter and nephew. Hermione, however, trudged down the way to see Harry.

She let herself in, butterflies irritating her stomach. "Harry?" She called nervously.

Harry came around the corner from the kitchen. "Hermione! What're you doing here?" He wrapped his arms around her and brought her feet off the ground. "Happy birthday!"

Hermione tried her best to stay positive, but as soon as she was let back on the ground, her heart sank in her chest. Harry brought his hands to cup her face, kissing her gently on her forehead. A painful, sorrowful smile lingered on Hermione's face as Harry pulled away to examine the beautiful woman in front of him.

His brow furrowed. "What's wrong?" He asked, noticing Hermione's frustrated expression.

She didn't look at him. Rather than her sincere eye contact she usually held, Hermione looked everywhere except Harry's face. She pressed her lips together, nervously, and took a deep breath through her nostrils. Closing her eyes, she said, "Ginny's been with someone else."

Nothing happened. Hermione seemed to be afraid to open her eyes, so she stood there, with her arms folded across her chest, eyes pressed shut. But after ten seconds of nothingness, Hermione's eyes peeked open.

"She told you this?" Harry asked, with his head cocked to the left. All she could do was nod. Instead of tears or anger, Harry picked her up once more, this time grasping her bottom, pulling her up to wrap her legs firmly around his waist. Hermione molded into him, her arms reaching behind his neck.

Slowly, he carried her to the closest bedroom, which happened to be the guest room. It had always been Hermione's favorite: it was decorated elegantly, with deep red curtains with a comforter to match. There was dark wooden furnature with intricate designs painted in gold. Harry tore his eyes from Hermione's for a moment, glancing at the bed, which gently drew its blankets back, as if inviting them to swim within it.

Harry slowly laid Hermione on the bed, not breaking the newly-rediscovered eye-contact they had made. He didn't care for her looks, rather, only the compassionate expression she held in her eyes.

But Hermione blinked, puzzled. "You - you aren't mad?"

Harry was taken a back, and gave Hermione a confused look. "I already knew, Hermione. I've known for a long time. It's just unfortunate that she had you tell me." There was a pause between them. But Hermione made the next move:

"So, who's on top!?" She joked.

Harry smiled. Behind his newly bought square rims, Hermione could see the familiar seventeen year old hero she had fallen for so many years back. Twenty-one years back, to be exact.

"Hermione, that's entirely up to you. This is supposed to be your day. No one else's. If you want the moon, I'll bring it to you. Just tell me what you want."

She was examining Harry. He sported a green button-down shirt, his cuffs undone and his sleeves rolled up. The top two buttons weren't buttoned either. Her eyes went from his chest to his legs, which were covered with black slacks. Harry looked good. Really good.

Hermione brought herself to her knees, so she was just about his height, kneeling on the bed. "Good thing this thing's so high, isn't it?"

Harry gave her that confused look again, a smirk birthing on his face.

"Or else I wouldn't be able to..."

She didn't finish. Hermione, instead, wrapped her arms around his neck again and brought his mouth crashing to hers. They slowly stripped each other of their clothing, and shared a romantic twenty-five minutes. As they were laying there afterwards, Harry's arms placed gently around Hermione's naked hip, they whispered "I love you's" continuously. Hermione must have said "Thank you," over fifty times, claiming that was the only this she could have ever asked for.

They napped for a little while, too, before Hermione woke and realized they were both late for dinner. Quickly, they freshened up, Hermione making sure every curl was back in its place, Harry buttoning his shirt entirely, and putting on a belt.

The two walked down the street to the Weasley household, where the children, Ron, and Ginny were waiting. Harry held the door open for her, and Hermione walked into the house. Instantly, "Happy Birthday!" was shouted from the two children.

Hermione grinned, seeing there were balloons and enchanted fireworks exploding in midair. Within twenty minutes, they had sat down to dinner, enjoying Ron's famous roast pork (it was the only thing he could actually prepare without Hermione's assistance), with green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy.

And for dessert, Ginny was able to convince her mother to make a huge cake (which Mrs. Weasley was, certainly, famous for). It was three tiers, with silver icing and chocolate beads sprinkled over it accordingly. That was when it was time for the unwrapping of Hermione's gifts.

"Well, you know, Hermione, our trip to the spa today was my treat," Ginny said in an instant, basically covering herself to make sure it didn't look inappropriate because she hadn't shown up with a gift.

"Oh, and it was wonderful, Ginny. Thank you so much. I really needed that!" Hermione was giving her sister-in-law a bit of a fake grin.

Ron chimed in next, "Well, as if dinner wasn't enough," he said, kissing her gently on the lips (Harry cringed at this), "_this_ is for you." He presented her with a small box: jewelry, Harry had suspected. She clicked the box open to reveal a dainty pearl necklace.

"Ron, it's beautiful!" She hugged him. "Thank you dear."

"I helped pick it out!" Hugo pointed out.

Hermione kissed the top of his head. "And I appreciate it, too! It's wonderful. From my two boys, thank you."

Harry came next. He reached into his left pocket, taking out the box he had just recently purchased. He handed it to Hermione, who savored the moment, taking her time with the opening of her final gift. After her eyes rested upon the sapphire charm, Hermione looked up at Harry, her eyes twinkling. "Harry, you shouldn't have. You really outdid yourself." She was grinning. "Thank you, really."

"You're quite welcome, Hermione. And that's from the entire Potter family, this little one included." He pulled Lily up into his lap.

"I am _not_ little!"

They all laughed.


End file.
